Dear Justin,
Forgive me a sinner!
There are two aspects to your post.
The first is the issue of Taoism vs. Christianity. The second is Justin vs. the Taoist as local Fount of Wisdom
.
I don't know how helpful this would be in your case, but the Catholic Church has within it what are called the "Chinese Rites."
These rites, approved by Pope Pius XII, constitute the reception and practice by Chinese Catholics of certain elements of their Confucian heritage.
For example, the tablets bearing the name of Confucius are kept in rooms and it is common to bow to them when entering or leaving a room.
This and other rites were studied by those indefatigable Jesuits in China and were given the green light. The Franciscans were suspicious of these and gave them the red light. Rome at the time went with the Franciscans, to the great detriment of the spreading of the Church in China.
Today, Chinese Catholics have altars to their ancestors at home before which they perform ancestral rites on All Souls Day.
They honour Confucius in parades and other ways - it is civil, not religious tribute they give him.
Thomas Merton and other Catholic writers have studied Taoism and have written on it.
Jesuit Priests living in China way back when actually became Confucian scholars - the two do not need to conflict - and thus occupied the highest social strata of Chinese society.
They could build on the moral and philosophical structure of Confucianism and thus relate the Gospel to it by way of an "Old Testament."
The fact that the Chinese Rites were forbidden then meant the Jesuits could not continue as Confucian scholars and integral members of Chinese society.
And the Christian enterprise there failed. The Rites were approved in 1946.
So, you might want to say that Catholicism has intellectually met with Confucianism and that it has received it and baptized it.
It would be good to read Merton and about the whole Chinese Rites controversy first.
As for who is the "Fount of Wisdom," that issue happens on this Forum too.
Here we don't have Confucius, but we have Brendan, Joe Thur, Dr. John and the Administrator, as well as others.
I think that you shouldn't be worried about the fact that others go to your Confused Friend
rather than to you.
It is often seen as being "cool" when one is of a non-Christian religion.
You need to establish your unique niche, so to speak.
Perhaps you could don the image of a Christian guru or someone who is "really into" the Jesus Message. (I'm using phrases my former students used!).
One student I knew wore a fish pin and prayer beads around his neck. He read the Bible widely and had the aura of a mystic about him.
Whatever makes you feel comfortable - once people see that you aren't a Christian because you are simply going with the Establishment, they'll "twig to you, man."
Be your own person, never mind what others say, and do your own thing, man.
Remember St Louis de Montfort? Like, man, he really preached the Gospel and devotion to Mary, like wow!
He carried a large Rosary and a Crucifix. He wore a little chain on his wrist (like don't tell me you don't already wear one on yours, Big Guy!).
He preached the devotion of Holy Slavery and people are still attracted to his writings. Like the Top Man in Rome, y'know, the Pope, no less!
You should become like him in your context. Call attention not to your being cool, but to Christ being "cool!"
Reflect the Wisdom that comes from within - and stay cool!
Forgive me a sinner,
Alex
[ 03-18-2002: Message edited by: Orthodox Catholic ]
